


Happy Birthday, Bruce Banner

by celtic7irish



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Pepper says no, Still not happy with the ending, Stretchy pants, Tony likes to go overboard, birthday fic, friendship fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-25 17:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6204982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celtic7irish/pseuds/celtic7irish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce's birthday is coming up.  Tony needs to come up with a gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Birthday, Bruce Banner

“No.”

 

“But—“

 

“No, Tony.” Pepper’s voice was firm.  “Remember the rabbit?”

 

“I thought you liked the rabbit!” Tony protested.

 

Pepper gave him a look. “Whatever made you think that?” she asked archly.  “I still don’t know how you got it into the house.”

 

Tony had actually brought it inside first, and then hired people to stuff it and sew it up. It had seemed like a good idea at the time.  He still thought Pepper had overreacted, just a bit.

 

Tony’s lips curved down into a frown. “But Pepper, he’ll love it!”  And okay, yeah, maybe he was whining just a bit, but really.  Bruce would love it, he knew he would.  And it wasn’t like the man had a lot to begin with, having been on the run for years, until SHIELD had finally brought him in.  Tony saw no reason not to spoil the man, just a little bit.

 

Pepper sighed. “Tony, trust me on this, okay?” she replied.  “Bruce Banner does not need you to buy him an entire city block.”

 

Tony gave a frustrated sigh. “Fine,” he conceded.  “Then how about –“

 

“Tony.” Pepper’s voice had entered the ‘do not fuck with me’ zone, and Tony gave up, tossing his hands into the air as he growled.

 

“Fine, fine, fine, okay? I got it.”  His scowl softened into a pleading expression as he stared at his long-time friend and CEO.  “What should I get him, then?” he asked sincerely.  He wasn’t good at this; he never had been.

 

Pepper smiled at him indulgently, satisfied that Tony _probably_ wasn’t going to go out and buy an island or a small third-world country for his best science buddy.  “You’ll have to figure that out for yourself,” she replied easily.  “Just remember, he doesn’t need something big.  Just something thoughtful.”

 

Tony contemplated that for a moment. “Yeah, but…how am I supposed to know what he really wants?” he mused out loud. “I mean, usually I just give you money to go shopping.”

 

Pepper grinned. “No, usually I just take your credit card,” she corrected, holding up the slim black card as evidence.  Tony’s lips twitched, and he spun around lazily on his stool, his work temporarily put aside while he tried to figure out what to buy Bruce for his birthday.  Steve had gotten a brand new motorcycle, given that he had trashed his in the fight against the Hydra-infested SHIELD.  Clint had gotten a new bow and some very ingenious arrows, if Tony said so himself.  Natasha had received a _very nice_ set of throwing knives.  Hell, he’d even managed to find a gift for an Asgardian Prince! 

 

But when it came to Bruce, Tony had no idea what to get. The man had access to all of Tony’s tech, and to the entirety of Stark Industries’ R&D department.  He lived at the Tower, had his own labs – yes, plural, he had two.  Tony had tried to buy him clothes, but the man just smiled at him wryly and continued to wear his khakis and button-up shirts.  Tony thought it was adorable, so he didn’t discourage it in the least.

 

His musings were interrupted when Pepper placed her fingers under his chin, tilting his face up to look at her. She smiled.  “Just think of him when you pick something, okay?” she asked, then dropped a chaste kiss on his forehead, like he was a little kid.  Tony grinned dopily; even after their mutual breakup, Pepper was still as rock-solid and reliable as ever.  He really did love the woman.

 

“Okay,” he agreed. “Love you.”  It was said impulsively, but it wasn’t any less true.

 

Pepper smiled. “Will that be all, Mr. Stark?” she asked.

 

Tony nodded, turning back to his work, his mind still turning over ideas for Bruce’s gift. “That will be all, Ms. Potts,” he replied.  With one last pat on his shoulder, Pepper was gone, her heels clicking across the tiled floor until the lab door closed behind her, leaving Tony with his thoughts and his bots.

 

Tony clapped his hands. “All right.  JARVIS?” he asked.

 

“Yes, sir?” Jarvis replied, sounding vaguely amused. “How might I be of assistance?”

 

“Pull up the schematics we pulled from Doom’s latest batch of crazies,” Tony grinned wolfishly. “I want to take them apart.”

 

“Of course, sir.” Blue diagrams lit up all around him, a visual display of the battered robotics sitting mangled on the far counter.  With a gleeful chuckle, Tony got to work.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Bruce blinked tiredly, removing his glasses and setting them on the table in front of him before pressing his fingers firmly against his aching eyes. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been working on this latest project, but his frustration was mounting as the simulation ended in yet another failure.  Taking several deep breaths, he brought his irritation under a bit more control.  His headache was still there, though, and he huffed out a long sigh, resigning himself to giving up for now.  Maybe a short break would be enough for him to come at it again anew and find the problem.

 

“Jarvis, save this last batch of data and shut everything down, please,” he requested wearily.

 

“Of course, Doctor Banner,” the AI replied. “Also, sir asked that I relay a message to you when you were at a stopping point.”  He paused for a moment, as if to see if Bruce would protest, then continued.  “He requests that you join him in the common room at your convenience.”

 

Bruce sighed and thought about refusing. He was tired and cranky and wanted nothing more than a hot shower and a warm bed.  Not even the thought of food could coax him away from the lure of sleep right now.  But Tony rarely asked for anything, from anybody, so for him to specifically request Bruce’s presence probably meant something.

 

So instead, he nodded. “All right.  I just…please let him know that I’ll come down after I get a shower, and maybe some food,” he murmured, figuring that if he was going to be awake for a bit longer, he might as well try and get some food in him.  He was pretty sure he still had some leftover beef stew from a day or two ago that he could heat up.  Or maybe he’d take a page out of Tony’s book and streamline a couple cups of coffee.

 

“I will let sir know that you will be joining him shortly,” Jarvis agreed as the elevator doors slid open so he could stumble inside. Without prompting, the car moved smoothly upwards, towards his suites.  Bruce leaned tiredly against the back wall of the elevator, his eyes closing.  He took several careful breaths, releasing some of the tension that had been building up with repeated failure.  At this rate, he was probably going to have to ask Tony for help, which would probably delight the other man.  Bruce just really hated having to ask; Tony had enough projects of his own, not to mention the Iron Man suits, which were in constant need of repair or improvement.

 

Bruce slipped out of the elevator when it stopped, heading straight for the shower. Jarvis had the water turned on and hot before he even stepped in, and Bruce hummed appreciatively as the hot water soothed muscles that were sore from being hunched over a computer.  Normally, he’d take time to enjoy the hot water at length, but he was aware that Tony was still waiting for him, so after a few minutes, he sighed and reached for the shampoo.

 

Fifteen minutes later, he was stepping out of the shower, wrapping a large heated towel around himself as he padded out to his bedroom. Later, he’d blame the fact that he was unaware of his guest on exhaustion.  It wasn’t until he’d dropped the towel and gotten an appreciative whistle that he realized he wasn’t alone. 

 

Glancing over his shoulder at an amused billionaire, Bruce just sighed. “I thought I was coming to you,” he said, not bothering to pick up the towel.  He’d just have to drop it again to put on clothes, and he’d been caught in far more compromising positions.  The Other Guy was pretty hard on clothes, and he counted himself lucky on the rare occasion that he still had enough fabric to cover himself after a transformation.

 

“Oh, please don’t rush on my account,” Tony purred, grinning at him.   Still, he did turn his head away politely as Bruce slipped into a pair of comfortable lounge pants and a t-shirt.  Dressed, he moved over to stand next to the other man, who grinned up at him impishly.  “Ready?” he asked, though it wasn’t really a question.

 

Bruce just sighed. “Can I at least get some coffee first?” he asked plaintively.

 

Tony just heaved a sigh and frowned at him absently, shoving him into the elevator. “Later,” he said at last, once the doors close and the elevator started down.  “Besides, coffee will spoil the surprise,” he muttered.

 

Bruce blinked. “Surprise?  What surprise?” he asked slowly, his eyes narrowing.  Tony’s eyes were suddenly glued to the doors in front of them, and Bruce racked his brains for the date, trying to remember if Tony had mentioned that there was something going on this week.  He gave up trying after a minute, realizing that Tony was going to get his way no matter what; he usually did.  Maybe Bruce was too indulgent of the other man’s eccentricities, but Tony was the first person he’d truly been able to call a friend since Betty, and he often found himself reluctant to lose that due to his own misgivings.

 

That’s not to say that he found Tony annoying or anything. Rather, it was just the opposite. The man was intelligent, engaging, and animated, and he tried too hard sometimes, hiding behind a wall of arrogant confidence, especially around Steve Rogers.

 

When the doors opened a moment later, Tony grabbed Bruce’s wrist and dragged him out of the elevator and onto the common room floor. Bruce could smell food, and he suddenly realized why Tony hadn’t waited for him to come down on his own.  “Is that…chili?” he asked mildly, the spicy aroma filling the immediate area.

 

Tony grins back at him. “Yep.  Thor brought back some Asgardian hot peppers – or whatever the hell they are.  They’ll probably burn your taste buds out.”  But he was laughing as he said it, and Bruce allowed himself to be dragged towards the tantalizing scent, hearing the murmur of voices as they approached the kitchen.

 

Instead of taking him into the dining area, though, Tony pulled him into the living room. “Tony, what-“ Bruce started, his question abruptly cut off as he realized what was happening.  To be fair, the giant banner hung on the ceiling proclaiming, “Happy Birthday, Bruce!!!!” was a bit of a giveaway, as was the food-laden table – four-tier birthday cake included – and the presents set on a table in the far corner of the room.

 

Bruce flinched, and would have backed right out the way he’d come if it wasn’t for Tony’s grip on his wrist. He shot the other man a pleading look, but Tony just grinned.  “Nope, sorry, big guy, not this time.  Look, it’s not much, okay?  Just the team.  And, you know, Pepper and Rhodey.  Oh, and Thor’s people.  But that’s it.  I promise.”

 

Bruce slowly relaxed as he realized that Tony was right. Everybody in the room was someone he knew, someone he had almost daily interaction with.  Natasha was standing over by the gifts, poised easily on the balls of her feet, watching him with a neutral expression.  Clint was perched on the back of the couch, his feet dangling over the back to rest on the seat cushions.  Phil was standing next to him, watching the proceedings with that vaguely exasperated look he got whenever Tony started talking.

 

Thor was standing off to the side by the cake, Doctor Jane Foster at his side. Darcy grinned and gave him a wink, before leaning in to snuggle against Thor’s side.  The Asgardian Prince just wrapped an arm around her shoulders, looking down at her fondly. 

 

There was a light cough from the other side of the room, and Bruce looked over to see Steve standing there, almost sheepishly. “Uh…Tony said you probably wouldn’t mind something small,” he said.  “I’m sorry if we made you uncomfortable anyhow.”

 

Bruce just shook his head. “Ah, no, it’s…okay,” he replied.  And it was, truly.  It was simply unexpected; Bruce had never really celebrated his birthday, not since his mother had died.  He had tried, once, with Betty, but then the Hulk incident had happened, and that had put an end to that.

 

“Are you just going to keep the poor man standing in the doorway?” Pepper’s brisk voice came from behind them, and Bruce scooted out of the way to let her and James Rhodes pass, the latter carrying a rather large box. The dark-skinned man gave him a friendly smile and nod as he passed, and Bruce relaxed; Rhodes might be career military, but he was also Tony Stark’s best friend.  He was used to breaking the rules when it came to Tony, and Bruce didn’t seem to be an exception.  Rhodey had accepted him with quiet grace once he was assured that Bruce had the Hulk more or less under control.  It was a tentative relationship, but not an unfriendly one.

 

Tony grinned. “Sorry, Pep,” he replied smoothly, dragging Bruce over towards the couch and pushing him onto it.  He clapped his hands gleefully. “So…what do you want to do first?” he asked.  “Food? Games? Presents?”  He looked at Bruce expectantly.

 

“Umm…”Bruce started, overwhelmed.

 

Rhodey solved the problem for him, smacking Tony upside the head. “Give the man some breathing room, would you?” he demanded.  Tony huffed, but flopped down next to Bruce on the couch and smiled at him.

 

“Sorry,” he apologized sincerely. “I know I go overboard sometimes.  But…everybody else got to celebrate their birthday.  I just wanted to do something for you, too.”

 

Bruce finally gave in and smiled at him. “It’s fine, Tony.  Really,” he reassured the other man.  “I was just surprised, that’s all.”

 

“Wow. You mean Stark actually managed to keep this a secret?” Clint demanded incredulously.

 

Tony glared at him. “You know what, Barton?” he started, but Bruce clapped a hand over his mouth, muffling whatever he was going to say.  Tony’s eyes sparkled with amusement, and he licked a long stripe up Bruce’s palm.  The scientist just moved his hand and wiped it casually on Tony’s shirt, making the other man laugh.

 

“I’m hungry,” he said, and just like that, the party was started, Clint and Tony cheering at the prospect of finally getting to actually _eat_ the food that was sitting on the table.  Tony insisted that Bruce stay seated, and that he’d make a plate for him, but Steve beat him to it, and Bruce took his serving with a quiet thanks, noting that their leader had picked out several of his favorites.  There was even a large bowl of the promised chili garnished with peppers from Asgard.  Bruce grinned at the face Tony made when he snagged a small taste from Bruce’s spoon.

 

The conversation flowed as easily as the food and drink. Bruce found himself engaged in an animated discussion regarding Jane Foster’s work, while Thor and Darcy watched on proudly.  Jane’s work on the Einstein-Rosen Bridge was really something, and the practical applications were astounding to say the least.  Jane just seemed to think that it was enough that she had been able to help Thor find a way to get home again.  Bruce had to agree.

 

Tony stayed close to him the whole time, even when he was scolded by Pepper or teased by Rhodey, and Bruce appreciated the gesture. It wasn’t something that he’d ever admit out loud, but large groups of people really weren’t his thing, even if he knew them all.  That Tony stayed nearby, close enough to touch, helped a lot.  Every once in a while, the genius would toss a grin and a wink his way, or lean over and whisper some pointless trivia or observation in his ear that made him chuckle in amusement.

 

As the night wore on, the food and warmth and presence of a warm body pressed against him from shoulder to hip lulled him into a light doze, his exhaustion from earlier pressing down on him. He didn’t even notice when he slumped over against Tony, or when the party guests started to leave.  He stirred briefly when Tony shifted him, laying him down on the wide sectional couch, but the other man just hushed him with a small chuckle and he settled back down.  Somebody – probably Steve – settled a blanket over him.  Tony’s voice, low and amused, was the last thing he heard before sleep finally claimed him completely.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Bruce blinked away slowly, his internal alarms not going off, which meant that he was safe. He wasn’t in his bedroom, but he was still in the Tower.  Opening his eyes, he stared up at the dark ceiling.  “Where?” he started, expecting JARVIS to answer.

 

“Oh, good, you’re up,” Tony’s voice startled him, and Bruce twisted his head around. The other man was watching him, his face lit by the tablet on his lap that he’d obviously been working on.  “Jarvis, lights at twenty,” he instructed, and the room brightened slowly enough that Bruce’s eyes could adjust.

 

“Tony?” he muttered at last, his voice scratchy. He gave a rough cough as he sat up, letting the blanket pool at his waist as he reached for the bottle of water sitting on the table in front of the couch.

 

Tony grinned at him as he took a sip. “You fell asleep before you got to open presents,” he pointed out gleefully, and Bruce winced.  “Hey, hey, none of that now,” Tony chastised.  “You needed the sleep.  Even Barton noticed that you’d been locked in the lab for days, and while I, personally, admire the dedication, apparently that was enough to worry Cap.”  He shrugged.  “We thought about delaying the party, actually,” he admitted.

 

Bruce ducked his head sheepishly. “But you knew I’d probably be back in the lab as soon as I woke up, huh?” he mused. 

 

Tony snorted. “Like that matters,” he scoffs.  “I knew that if you figured out what we were up to, you’d find an excuse to not attend your own birthday party.”  Bruce didn’t argue, knowing that Tony’s concerns were completely valid.  If he hadn’t been so exhausted last night, he may have been slightly more suspicious at the invitation, especially coming from Tony.

 

Tony took Bruce’s silence as agreement, and smirked, setting his tablet to the side and standing up to wander over to the pile of presents sitting on the table. He lifted one curiously, turning it over in his hands before shaking it.  “Tony!” Bruce chastised, “What if it’s breakable?”

 

He could practically hear the eye roll, but Tony put the gift down. He picked up another one, staring at it consideringly for a moment, his hands tightening briefly on the sides before he turned an strode over to Bruce, dropping it into his lap. 

 

Bruce looked down at the package, then up at his friend. Tony’s mouth was drawn in a tight line, his eyes hooded as he stared down at the lumpy gift.  “From you?” Bruce asked softly.

 

Tony nodded. “Yeah,” he said, shoving his hands into his jean pockets, aiming for casual and missing by a mile as he shifted on his feet.  “I thought maybe, since you were awake, you could open it now.”  Bruce didn’t know what look he had on his face, but Tony hurried on.  “It’s nothing bad,” he assured the other man.  “It’s just…I have a board meeting in the morning, and since Pepper’s making me go, that means it’s probably going to take all day.  I’m kind of hoping for an Avengers-level emergency about an hour in,” he admitted.

 

Bruce couldn’t help it; he smiled. His hands gripped the package in his lap, feeling the way it crumpled in his hands.  “It’s not going to blow up on me or anything, is it?” he joked.

 

Tony somehow managed to look wounded and affronted at the same time. “What? No! Of course not! Why would you think that? Don’t you trust me, Banner?” he mock-demanded.  He put his hands over his heart.  “I’m hurt that you think so ill of me, I really am.”

 

Bruce just raised an eyebrow at the other man, his fingers already sliding along the seams of the poorly wrapped package, seeking out the tape that was holding it – barely – together. “Don’t think I don’t remember Clint’s birthday, Tony,” he retorted.  “The cake exploded.  The _cake_.”  He felt the need to stress that point.  It was a good thing that he had control of the Hulk, more or less, because there was a time when an exploding cake would have resulted in an Incident.

 

Tony grinned. “Yeah, that was pretty awesome, if I do say so myself,” he agreed.  “Ingenious, really.”

 

Bruce gave a small smile, his eyes dropping down as he got the package open. As the Avengers gift wrap – could he be any more obvious? – slid apart, a pile of black cloth spilled out.  “What?” he murmured, his fingers already lifting the fabric, holding it up.  “Pants?” he asked.

 

“Stretchy pants,” Tony corrected smugly. Bruce’s head shot up in surprise, and Tony’s grin widened.  “Don’t think I haven’t seen your arrest records, big guy.  How many counts of public indecency do you have now?”  He wasn’t even bothering to hide his amusement anymore.  Bruce could feel his face heating up. 

 

Tony shrugged. “Anyhow, I haven’t quite figured out how to make a shirt work, yet – the transformation is a lot more pronounced in your shoulders and chest – I figured at least this way you wouldn’t have to worry about whether or not you’d have anything left of your pants afterwards.”  Given that Bruce usually only transformed for a battle that required a Code Green now – benefits of no longer being on the run and having the Avengers at his back – transformations were actually something that he could plan for now.  That didn’t make it any easier on his wardrobe, though, and he took another, longer look at the pants, his hands pulling firmly, seeing how far they actually stretched before releasing it and watching it return to its former size.

 

“Tony, these are…wonderful,” he praised, not having any other word for it. They were small, practical, and not the least bit showy, though Bruce could only imagine the amount of time and money that must have gone into making them.  Of course, Tony being Tony, Bruce was absolutely certain he’d find multiple applications for the material.

 

“Yeah?” Tony asked, and Bruce heard the relief clearly, despite the other man’s forced nonchalance. “Then…you like them?”

 

Bruce pulled the soft, flexible material close to him as he nodded. “Yes, Tony, I like them.”

 

Tony collapsed dramatically onto the couch, his head falling into Bruce’s lap. “Oh, good.  Because I was worried that maybe it was too much, you know? I mean, Pepper didn’t like the rabbit.  Cap looked at me like I was crazy when I gave him the bike.  Clint and Natasha actually liked theirs, because it helps them kill people and blow things up, but Agent gave me such a mean look, so I really wasn’t sure.”  He grimaced.  “I’m not very good at this, am I?” he mused wryly.

 

Bruce shrugged. “I think you’re doing fine,” he murmured back, setting the pants next to him on the couch and smiling down at his friend.  “Really, it’s just you being…well, you.  We like you anyhow,” he promised.

 

Tony rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling when he said, “Happy Birthday, Bruce Banner.”

 

Bruce settled further into the couch before replying. “I’m pretty sure it’s the best one yet.”

 

“Really?” Tony asked, arching an eyebrow. “Just wait until next year, then!”

 

Bruce just sighed. “I can’t wait.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not terribly happy with how this turned out, but it wouldn't leave my head until I finished it, so here it is.


End file.
